An anthropological approach to all things geek

Anthropology in Outerspace

This series examines representations of anthropology in science-fiction. Emma, Marie-Pierre and Rayna discuss cases from various TV series, movies and books and what they reveal about popular perceptions regarding this science and its branches (archeology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology and sociocultural anthropology).

In preparation for this series, we wished to list examples of representations of anthropologists and anthropology in science-fiction: an anthropologist in a Twilight Zone episode? A description of ethnography in a sci-fi magazine? Margaret Mead being mentioned in a book about little green men? The scenario of a Star Trek episode introducing perspectives and concepts closely related to anthropology? TGA readers provided fascinating such examples to consider.

List examples you can think of in the comments below! Feel free to add examples from other genres of pop culture as well and to share your own work on science-fiction and anthropology!

Star Trek ENT “Three Days and Two Nights”: Ensign Hoshi Sato is a linguist. The plot involves linguistic immersion.

Star Trek TOS “Who Mourns for Adonais?”: Lt. Carolyn Palamas is the “A & A officer,” which the episode tells us stands for “Archaeology, Anthropology, and Ancient Civilizations.”

Star TrekVOY: “Tsunkatse”: Chakotay says he’s going to the match in Star TrekVOY: “Tsunkatse” as an anthropologist. In “Bliss,” part of his bliss is being offered a part-time professorship in anthropology. It’s not called out, but his interactions in “Initiations” could count too.

Citizen of the Galaxy: In the juvenile novel Citizen of the Galaxy by Heinlein, the slave boy Thorby meets an anthropologist on a ship who is the only person who will befriend him at first because he does not understand proper behavior. She teaches him about moieties and the morays of the culture of the people on board the ship.

Jeff Vandermeer’s book Annihilation.

Hort, the anthropologist in Monument, by Lloyd Biggle Jr.

X-Men: Xavier has a PhD in Anthropology and one great enemy of the X-Men, Bolivar Trask, is a prominent anthropologist.

The Mote in God’s Eye, a novel by Niven and Pournelle features the anthropologist Lady Sandra “Sally” Bright Fowler.

Indiana Jones, archaeologist : Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) & Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008).

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chakotay has a lot of fun studying the planet in the episode “blink of an eye,” where for every second on the ship, a day passes on the planet. at one point the doctor is sent there; on the ship a few minutes pass for them to retrieve him because of a glitch with the transporter, 3 years passed on the planet. they’re able to see various nation-states develop technology from the shamanistic tribal society to a medieval to modern and even past their own technical level. this is one of my favorite episodes not just of voyager but the franchise overall.

Star Wars – The Galactic Institute of Anthropology published such notable works on Mandalorian culture as Mandalorians: Identity and Language and Mandalorians: Identity and Its Influence on Genome. It’s not a part of the canon now, but it was mentioned before the Disney took over.
Also, SW Universe mentions “sentientologist” who is scientist studing all sentient beings in galaxy and they culture, bilogy and hisotry, wich includes anthropologists – http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Sentientologist
Some Lovecraft stories includes ethnologists

Double whammy with WASTELAND OF FLINT by Thomas Harlan.
An alternate history science fiction novel with the Mexica in charge of Earth, which follows a xeno-archaeologist investigating the remains of an extinct advanced culture on a distant planet.

Dan Sylveste is an archaeologist in Alastair Reynold’s Revelation Space novel. From the wikia “At the beginning of Revelation Space he is an archaeologist working on Resurgam and studying the ruins of the ancient Amarantin, convinced that their history holds the key to why no alien species has yet survived long enough for humans to make contact.” http://revelationspace.wikia.com/wiki/Dan_Sylveste

Hadley Rille Books has entire series based on archaeology and archaeologists, in both its science fiction and historical fiction collections. This is a small press, so they don’t get a very wide distribution, but their RUINS anthologies have a loyal following, including RUINS TERRA and RUINS EXTRATERRESTRIAL. Other anthologies of note would be FOOTPRINTS and ORIGINS. The latter is a collection of short stories about human evolution based on the archaeological record. All of these anthologies were edited by Eric T. Reynolds. Another book from HRB’s science fiction list is the novel TRANSCENDENCE (not to be confused with the recent movie) by Chris McKitterick, which features an archaeologist working on one of Jupiter’s moons. There’s probably more, but these are the titles I’m most familiar with. Hope this helps!

In the juvenile novel Citizen of the Galaxy by Heinlein, the slave boy Thorby meets an anthropologist on a ship who is the only person who will befriend him at first because he does not understand proper behavior. She teaches him about moieties and the morays of the culture of the people on board the ship.

The best example in Star Trek TNG is still “Homeward” were Worf adoptive brother Nikolai Rozhenko a real bona fide anthropologist is trying to save a culture from the usual prime directive misunderstandings and going native in the end.

There’s a few more in Star Trek:
– Lt. Carolyn Palamas in TOS: “Who Mourns for Adonais?” (At first I confused her with Lt. Marla McGivers in “Space Seed,” but she’s a historian.)
– Chakotay says he’s going to the match in VOY: “Tsunkatse” as an anthropologist. In “Bliss,” part of his bliss is being offered a part-time professorship in anthropology. It’s not called out, but his interactions in “Initiations” could count too.
– TNG episodes “Devil’s Due” and “The Bonding” have archaeologists too, but not very prominantly.

Oh, a few more episodes:
– Captain Sisko becomes obsessed with an archaeological puzzle (DS9: “Rapture”)
– Dr. Richard Galen, Picard’s old archaeology professor, needs help with a puzzle in TNG: “The Chase”
– Ensign Hoshi Sato is a linguist. Mostly the writers give her jargon, but her plot ENT: “Three Days and Two Nights” involves linguistic immersion.